FABA: Businesses learn Foster Road rejuvenation delayed

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 31, 2017

It was a festive evening, Thursday, February 23, when members and guests of the Foster Area Business Association (FABA) gathered at Tango Berretin, at the complex intersection where S.E. Foster Road crosses Holgate Boulevard, for their annual meeting.

The hospitality room table was laden with Mexican food, and plenty of libations were on hand as the meeting got underway.

At the meeting, Micetic announced that the “Foster Road Streetscape Plan”, from S.E. 52nd Avenue to 82nd Avenue of Roses, has been pushed back for as long as two years, while the City focuses on improving the thoroughfare further east — through Lents Town Center. The revision of Foster Road west of 82nd is still controversial with some businesses and residents.

Turning the topic to the vitality of the area, 87 new businesses have come to the district in just the past three years, Micetic pointed out. “These new businesses bring with them new energy on Foster Road; and, at the same time, we’re retaining the established businesses here.”

In addition to retaining the two major public events the organization established last year, Micetic said, “We’re looking for more ways to team with our neighbors, including a litter cleanup with the neighborhood association. Some may say this is a small effort, but each small improvement makes an incremental change for the better and improves the whole area.”

During a brief meeting of the Board of Directors, FABA’s leaders unanimously passed a new set of bylaws for the organization.

“Instead of working on the kludged set of bylaws that have been handed down for years, with the help of Venture Portland these new streamlined bylaws, vetted by attorneys, will help us operate under current ‘best-practices’,” beamed FABA President Matthew Micetic of Red Castle Games.

“The new bylaws are more conducive to running an efficient organization, such as holding Board votes on time-sensitive issues via e-mail, instead of by fax.”